Recently there has been increasing use of bar codes on objects to automatically identify the object or the contents of the object. The bar code is generally printed on the object or on a label attached to the object. The bar code is generally read by either passing the object across a reader, or by a hand held reader which is passed across the bar code on the object. Bar codes which are arranged circumferentially around a cylindrical surface limit the length of the code. This problem is especially severe with small diameter cylindrical objects, such as sample vials used in an analytical laboratory. For data integrity, it is traditional to use a check character (checksum) on the bar code to minimize the chance of error. This practice further limits the space for data by utilizing a character space. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method for reading the bar code on an object, particularly a small cylindrical object, which will provide an accurate reading of the bar code without decreasing the space on the object for the bar code.